Electric timepiece movement



Nov. 17, 1959 A. BEYNER ELECTRIC TIMEPIECE MOVEMENT Filed Jan. 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l .I N VEN TOR. Andre Begner Nov. 17, 1959 A. BEYNER 2,912,817

ELECTRIC TIMEPIECE MOVEMENT Filed Jan. 29. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HG 3 l $5 u 'n a 4|;

l i as o s su 52- 5g s GII +8 a @u 5f u 1s EZ f3 .,5 z zo 31 gg WG 51 Si 5S WI IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent ELECTRIC TIMEPIECE MOVEMENT Andr Beyner, Neuchatel, Switzerland, assignor to Ebauches S-A., Neuchatel, Switzerland Application January 29, 1957, Serial No. 636,889

Claims priority, application Switzerland February '15, 1956 Claims. (Cl. 58-28) The present invention relates to an electric timepiece.

movement.

Generally the known electric timepiece movements are constructed in the conventional way, that is to say mechanical and electric elements constituting the said movement are secured to a base plate called pillar plate. This assembling method presents drawbacks as well for the production of the several parts constituting the movement as for their assembling and particularly for their repairing.

The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks. It relates to a timepiece movement of the type having a driving balance wheel the oscillations of which are sustained electrically and a counting gearing driven by the balance wheel and controlling the hands of the said timepiece. This movement is broadly characterized in that it includes essentially two blocks which are completely independent of each other, the rst block being formed by the purely mechanical portion of the movement, whereas the second block includes all of the electric elements of the movement, but only these elements, the whole being arranged in such a way that the movement starts running as soon as both blocks are assembled together and the current source is placed in position.

The manufacture of this movement is thus facilitated, particularly due to the fact that the mechanical portion and the electric portion may be executed quite independently of each other. Assembling and terminating of the timepiece are also facilitated since when the mechanical portion has been assembled, it is sufficient to place on this mechanical portion the block including all of the electric elements for obtaining the definitive movement in running order. Finally, repairing of this movement is very easy for the clock and watch repairer who has generally little knowledge in the field of the electric clocks and watches. If a defect is found in the electric portion of the movement, it will sufce to change this portion without having to disassemble the mechanical portion.

The accompanying drawings show, by way of example, an embodiment of the invention, and more particularly a small clock in accordance with the invention.

Fig. l is a plan view of the complete movement of the assembled clock.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, at an enlarged scale, taken along the line Il-II in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the mechanical block and the electric block of the movement.

Fig. 4 is a cross-Sectional view, at an enlarged scale, taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, at an enlarged scale, taken along the line V-V in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 shows a diagram of the electric circuit sustaining the oscillations of the balance wheel.

The mechanical block or unit principally consists of the plate 1, hereinafter called mechanical plate for distinguishing it from the plate of the electric block or unit, which will be called electric plate. On the plate 1 ICC are fixed four pillars: The pillars 2 and 3 are adapted to receive the train wheel bridge 4, whereas the pillars 5 and 6 receive the balance cock 7 (Fig. 3). Between the cock 7 and the plate 1 is pivoted the balance wheel 8 (Fig. 2). A regulator 9 similar to that used for regulating the effective length of the hair-spring is frictionally mounted on an upper end-piece 10. The balance staff 11 carries two armatures 12 and 13 which form the movable armatures of the electromagnet sustaining the oscillations of the balance wheel 8. Between the train wheel bridge 4 and the mechanical plate 1 are pivoted the non-illustrated elements of the counting gearing and of the gearwork of the timepiece.

On the lower face of the plate 1, that is to say on the face opposite to the face supporting the pillars, are provided recesses adapted to receive the cannon pinion, the minute wheel and the hour wheel driving the hands of the timepiece. These well-known elements are not illustrated in the drawings.

The mechanical plate 1 has a milled surface or shoulder 14 the shape of which may be seen in Fig. 1 and corresponds to the shape of the inner outline 15 of the electric plate 16. The surfaces 14 and 15 fit into each other, but a slight clearance is provided therebetween. The .perfect guiding between the electric plate 16 and the mechanical plate 1 is obtained by means of guiding feet 17 and 18 secured to the mechanical plate 1, these feet engaging notches 19 and 20 respectively provided for this purpose in the electric plate 16. The shape of the notches 19 and 20 is such that the electric plate 16 can be slid on the mechanical plate 1 and take its position at the moment in which the feet 17 and 18 are completely engaged in the notches 19 and 20. Two screws 21 and 22 hold the electric plate 16 in the correct position on the mechanical plate 1 by an effect of lateral pressure exerted on the feet 17 and 18. In order to obtain this' effect, the screws 21 and 22 have a conical head which bears, as shown in Fig. 5, on the edge of corresponding holes 23 and 24 respectively, provided in the electric plate 16 (Fig. 3). The screws 21 and 22 are screwed in holes 25 and 26 respectively of the mechanical plate 1. The axis of the hole 23 (or 24) provided in the electric plate 16 and the axis of the hole 25 (or 26) provided in the mechanical plate 1 do not coincide with each other, but are staggered by a certain distance d (Fig. 5). By turning the screw 22, a pressure directed to the right in Fig. 5, i.e. downwards in Fig. l, is exerted on the electric plate 16. The same occurs under the action of the screw 21. The lateral pressure thus produced brings the electric plate 16 into .its correct position in which the feet 17 and 18 of the mechanical plate 1 are completely engaged in the notches 19 and 20.

The electric portion of the movement is in turn subdivided into blocks or units whereby assembling of this portion can be performed in a rational way. Three separate units are mounted on the electric plate 16: a

terminal unit, a kmotor unit and a contact unit. These several units can be disassembled independently of one another. Thus, changing one defective contact on the electric block can be done in a very short time and without running the risk of damaging the other parts of this block.

(a) Terminal unit-The terminal unit consists of two adapted to make contact with a button 33 of the battery 34. At the other end of the piece 28 are bent the two lugs 31 and 32 engaging notches 35 provided in the plates 27 and 27'. The piece 29 is doubly bent and is thus formed with two lugs 36 and I37 which also engage notches 38 `cut out in the plates 27 and 27'. YScrews 39 and 40 serve to hold the terminal unit on the electric plate 1.6. To the mechanical plate l1 is rigidly secured by means of a screw 41 a strap 42 bent at three places. The strap 42 is adapted to hold on the mechanical plate 1 the casing of the battery 34 at its end remote from `the button 33 of the said battery. The lug 30 vof the metal piece 28 and the bent portions. of the `strap L42 are arranged iu such a way that the battery 34 is maintained elastically in its position. In order to somewhat reduce the height and to improve the fixing means of the battery 34, an elongated opening 43 (Fig. 3) is provided in the mechanical plate 1 and the battery rests along two generating lines against the large sides of this opening 43.

(b) Motor unit-The motor unit is xed to the electric plate 16 by means of four screws .44 engaging pillars 45 driven into the electric plate 16.. More particularly, the stationary armatures or pole pieces 46, 47 and 48 of the magnetic circuit of the motor are screwed in the said manner. The coils 49 and 50 are, therefore, suspended to these pole pieces. The free ends of the pole pieces 46 and 47 enter axial bores provided in the coils 49 and 50 respectively, in which bores they are superposed on the free ends of the pole piece 48.

(c) Contact unit-The c ontact unit essentially consists of an linsulating plate 51 made of a synthetic material such as nylon, polystyrene or the like. In this plate 51 is fitted a contact support 52 which is held in the plate 51 by means of -a screw 53. To the contact support 5'2 is tixed by means of a cotter 54 a double contact blade 55, 55'. 'The block or unit formed of plate 51, contact support 52 and double blade 55, 55' is secured to the electric plate 16 by vmeans of two screws 56. A conducting plate 57 in which are driven two pins 58 forms also a part of the contact device. The blades 55, 55', the pins 58 and a contact finger 59 fixed to the balance staff 11 constitute a contact device which forms the subject-matter of my co-pending -application Serial No. 531,362 iiled August 30, 1955, now Patent No. 2,853,848. This device comprises two contacts 60 and 61 mounted in parallel (Fig. 6), the first contact being made between the finger 59 and the free ends of the blades 55, 55', whereas the second contact is made between one of the blades 55, 55 Vand the corresponding pin 58. These contacts are arranged in such a way that the iirst contact 60, which is directly controlled by the rotation of the balance wheel 8, always closes and opens before the second contact 61, so that no breaking extra-current takes place on the lfirst contact 60. The balance staff 11 is connected to the earth or ground over its hair spring. A resistor 62 is mounted in parallel with the coils 49 and 50 in order to improve the operation of the contact ,61, this resistor preventing spark formation on the said contact 61.

The connections between the battery 34, the terminal unit, the motor unit and the contact unit are obtained by means of copper strips insulated by a sheath of synthetic material. The positive pole of the battery 34 is earthed by the strap 42 and the screw 41. The connection between the negative pole (button 33) of the battery 34 and the inlet of the coil 49 is obtained by means of the metal piece 28 and the strip 63, the strip 63 being welded to the lug 32 and iixed to the coil 49 by a cotter 64. The outlet of the coil 4 9 and the inlet of the coil 50 are interconnected by the lstrip 65 held by cotters 66 and 67 on the coils 49 and 50, respectively. The outlet of the coil 50 is connected to .the contact device by the strip 68 fixed to the coil `50 by means of a cotter 69. 'Ihe other end Vot the strip 68 is inserted into a slot ,70 provided in the contact support .52.

One of the terminals of the resistor 62 is connected to the coil 49 over the lug 31 on which is welded one side of the resistor 62. The other side of the resistor 62, welded on the lug 36 of the metal piece 29, is connected with the outlet of the coil 50 over the strip 71 which is welded on the one hand -with the lug 37 of the piece 29 and isV iixed, on the other hand, to the contact support 52 over a ring 72 frictionally mounted on a stud 73. The strip 71 is welded on the ring 72.

It will be appreciated that, in the timepiece movement as described and illustrated, all of the elements forming the electric portion of the movement are mounted on the electric plate 16, so that an electric block is obtained. For assembling the movement, the watchmaker has merely to place the electric block on the mechanical block. The pole pieces 46 and 47 are inserted between the armatures 12 and 13 of the balance wheel, as shown in Fig.`2. When the battery 34 has been placed between the straps 30 and 42, the balance wheel 8 receives impulses controlled by the action of the electric contacts and its oscillations are sustained,

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that other embodiments may be resorted to without departing from the invention. Therefore, the form of `the invention set out above should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A timepiece movement with a driving balance the oscillations of which are sustained electrically, comprising two plates, one of said plates being provided with guiding feet and the other plate with guiding notches, screws for assembling said plates together, mechanical components, electrical components consisting of a terminal unit, a motor unit and a contact unit, insulated metal strips, and a current source, the mechanical components being mounted on one of said plates and forming a first block, the electrical components being mounted on the other plate and forming a second block independent of said first block, the electrical components being interconnected by means of said insulated metal strips, the plate of the iirst block having a milled shoulder the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the inner outline of the plate of the second block whereby both plates can tit into each other, the plate of the second block being guided with respect to the plate of the first block by means of said guiding feet fitting into said notches of the other plate, both plates being assembled by means of said screws adapted to push both plates towards each other until said guiding feet touch the bottom of said notches.

2. A timepiece movement with a driving balance the oscillations of which are sustained electrically, comprising two plates, one of said plates being provided with guiding feet and the other plate with guiding notches, screws for assembling said plates together, mechanical components, electrical components consisting of a terminal unit, a motor unit and a contact unit, and a current source, the mechanical components being mounted on one of said plates and forming a iirst block, the electrical components being mounted on the other plate and forming a second block independent of said iirst block, the plate of the first block having a milled shoulder the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the inner outline of the plate of the second block whereby both plates can t into each other, the plate of the second block being guided with respect to the plate of the first block by means of said guiding feet fitting into said notches of the other plate, both plates being assembled by means of said screws adapted to push both plates towards each other until said guiding feet touch the bottom of said notches.

3. A timepiece movement with a driving balance the oscillations of which are sustained electrically, comprising two plates, one of said plates being provided with `guiding feet and the other plate with guiding notches, screws for assembling said plates together, mechanical components, electrical components, and a current source, the mechanical components being mounted on one of said plates and forming a first block, the electrical-components being mounted on the other plate and forming a second block independent of said first block, the plate of the irst block having a milled shoulder the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the inner outline of the plate of the second block whereby both plates can iit into each other, the plate of the second block being guided with respect to the plate of the first block by means of said guiding feet iitting into said notches of the other plate, both plates being assembled by means of said screws adapted to push both plates towards each other until said guiding feet touch the bottom of said notches.

4. A timepiece movement with a driving balance the oscillations of which are sustained electrically, comprising two plates, one of said plates being provided with guiding feet and the other plate with guiding notches, means for assembling said plates together, mechanical components, electrical components, and a current source, the mechanical components being mounted on one of said plates and forming a rst block, the electrical components being mounted on the other plate and forming a second block independent of said iirst block, the plate of the iirst block having a milled shoulder the shape of which 6 corresponds to the shape of the inner outline of the plate of the second block whereby both plates can lit into each other, the plate of the second block being guided with respect to the plate of the rst block by means of said guiding feet fitting into said notches of the other plate. 5. A timepiece movement with a driving balance the oscillations of which are sustained electrically, comprising two plates, means for assembling said plates together, mechanical components, electrical components, and a current source, the mechanical components being mounted on one of said plates and forming a rst block, the electrical components being mounted on the other plate and forming a second block independent of said first block, the plate of the rst block having a milled shoulder the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the inner outline of the plate of the second block whereby both plates can t into each other.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 144,270 Frankfeld Nov. 4, 1873 533,722 Moeri Feb. 5, 1895 1,874,967 Greenleaf Aug. 30, 1932 2,089,280 Loeiiler Aug. l0, 1937 2,662,366 Koehler Dec. 15, 1953 

